Rory McIlroy, facing the cut line, cards a brilliant birdie

It hasn’t been the greatest of major seasons for Rory McIlroy. Always one of the pre-tournament favorites, he hasn’t closed the deal on a major all year … or any year since 2014. At the PGA Championship this week, he’s been skirting the cut line. And when he flew the green on the 14th, McIlroy looked like he was in real trouble. Not so:

That beauty, one of the best shots of the tournament by any player, put McIlroy safely inside the cut line at -2 with four holes to go. The shot left him eight strokes behind leader Gary Woodland, but at least it helped him make the weekend.

McIlroy is, on a pure pound-for-pound basis, the most talented golfer in the game today. All too often he doesn’t deliver when he needs to, but when he does, it’s brilliance. Like this.